Apartment, businesses evacuated after fire in bed of pickup truck spreads in Pasco

A fire in the bed of a pickup damaged two Pasco businesses and forced people out of an attached apartment early Thursday.

Pasco firefighters are still trying to determine the cause of the blaze that started in the bed of the truck behind 212 Lewis St., Pasco Fire Deputy Chief Ed Dunbar said. Investigators were going to be on the scene later in the day.

A Pasco police officer in the area spotted the smoke just after midnight and alerted firefighters.

When firefighters arrived, they evacuated two people who lived in an apartment attached to a gym, said Dunbar.

Flames spread into the gym’s attic and firefighters from Pasco, Kennewick, Franklin County Fire District 3 and Benton County Fire District 1 had to pull out part of the wall and ceiling to make sure the fire was out. A piece of sheetrock fell on a firefighter. She was treated at the scene and not seriously hurt.

The building on the other side of the alleyway was scorched.

Firefighters got the blaze out by 2:30 a.m. Dunbar said the buildings will be able to be repaired.